


Forever Will Never Be Enough

by ThatDamnKennedyKid



Series: The Wolf And The Fox [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Childhood, Platonic Love, What if fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-19 22:59:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2406026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDamnKennedyKid/pseuds/ThatDamnKennedyKid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto whisked an eye open every night, trying to catch the wolf man from the Zoo People (Jiji called them ANBU, but that didn't mean anything to him). Tonight, he caught him. </p><p>Wolf stared back at him, one eye glowing red while the other lay hidden within the eyelet. </p><p>Naruto smiled at Wolf. "Gotcha."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forever Will Never Be Enough

He had tried to stay away. The hurt was too fresh, too new ever after all these years. 

Well, five years, to be exact. Five years along with Obito, Rin, Kushina and Minato were gone. He missed them. 

But, that didn't mean that he had to see the obnoxious offspring of those tragedies. 

He did anyway. 

* * *

Naruto had once talked to Jiji about the Zoo People. The Sandaime had called them ANBU, but the acronym was lost on the boy.

"Is that what Wolf is?"

"Wolf?"

Naruto's bright, intelligent eyes peered up at him with innocent curiosity. "Yeah, Wolf. He watches me all the time. I knew he watches when I sleep, because I can feel his eyes, but I can never catch him doing it."

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "But you don't know his name?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. Like I said, I can't catch him."

"Hmm."

"Do you know who he is, Jiji?"

The Hokage never answered that little boy's question, but Naruto knew he knew and so did Hiruzen. 

* * *

Naruto whisked open an eye and the man on his windowsill froze. 

Wolf stared back at him, one eye glowing red while the other was hidden within the darkness of the eyelet. 

Naruto smiled. "Gotcha."

Wolf jerked, as if the little boy's voice broke the ice he was trapped in. 

"You don't have to go, you know." Naruto commented softly as the man made to run. "You didn't have to hide back then, either, Wolf."

"Wolf?"

"On your mask. You're one of the Zoo People."

The man chuckled. "Zoo People?"

"Yeah. Animals are in the zoos, right? And you're wearing an animal mask. So, you're one of the Zoo People."

Wolf dropped from his perching position into a more comfortable sitting one. "You're pretty sharp. We're called ANBU."

Naruto stuck his tongue out. "Pah! What does that even  _mean_?"

Wolf chuckled indulgently. "We're special ninja. Elite ninja."

Naruto rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on his arms, resting his cheek on his fist will a dull expression. "Duh."

Wolf stared as if slapped. "Cheeky too."

"Well, what else would you be? There's no such thing as an elite  _shopkeeper_ , except maybe the Yamanaka. Still, you are  _far_ from a shopkeeper, Wolf."

"How do you know that I don't moonlight as one?"

Naruto's expression made him laugh outright like he hadn't done in years. 

"Okay, okay. Busted. I don't."

Naruto broke and giggled, eyes scrunched tight. It was something Naruto rarely felt. 

He knew that waiting up for Wolf would be a good idea. 

* * *

Naruto and Wolf became fast friends. Wolf said it was because they were suckers for punishment. Naruto rolled his eyes. 

"You know I don't get what you mean."

"That's why I said it."

Wolf said he couldn't be seen in public, which made sense to Naruto.

"So, that you understand?" Wolf had exclaimed in exasperation. 

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Just . . . Usually that's the sticky part."

Naruto made a face. "Why would it be sticky?"

"Nevermind."

Wolf was able to stay at home with him, however. Often, he stayed the night. 

* * *

Today, Wolf was helping him with groceries. More specifically, taking the groceries from the cupboards that were necessary and making dinner. 

Wolf was a very good cook. His ramen wasn't as good as old man Teuchi, but it was really close. 

Naruto tugged on the grey armour plating and Wolf hoisted him onto the counter. They did this every time Wolf cooked. 

"Naruto?"

"Yeah, Wolf?"

"I have a mission I leave for tomorrow."

"Another one? Why so close?"

"I don't know."

"Why are you telling me?"

Wolf took a deep breath and for a long time, said nothing. 

"I'll be gone for the whole month. And it's going to be October first tomorrow."

Naruto got quiet. "Oh."

"I went and bought all the food you'll need for the month. Lay low. Please. I won't be here this time."

"You've been here for quite some time, haven't you? You've watched me my whole life."

Wolf looked at him seriously. "Yes."

"If that's the case, I'll keep my head down. I promise."

* * *

On October 10th, after the coming of night, Naruto rolled on his bed to face Wolf's window. On his bedside table, there was a small gift. 

_Happy Birthday, Naruto. I hope you kept your promise. See you soon._

_- ~~Kaka~~  Wolf_

* * *

 

* * *

Kakashi whisked open an eye and the boy on the windowsill paused. 

Naruto smiled. "Gotcha."

"Naruto?"

Naruto dropped from his perched position on the windowsill to a more comfortable sitting one. "I had always wondered who he was, you know."

Kakashi cocked his head. "Huh?"

"He was the only one to ever be kind to me, 'ttebayo. I loved him unlike anyone else. I used to pet my hair and hum until I fell asleep. Once, I even woke up before him. His mask was all askew. His silver hair was messier than usual and the red light wasn't in the eyelet anymore."

Kakashi's muscles were slowly freezing up. 

"He had high cheekbones with a fine, straight nose and lush lips paler than the rest of his skin. He also had a curious scar over his one eye, the one that the red light had always come from. The month I turned six, he had to go for a mission. I got a present on my birthday from him. I never saw him again. Well, maybe that's not exactly true."

Kakashi was locked in place by the vices around his heart. 

"He had just changed. I didn't realize that he didn't look like that all the time. He had just changed, because his mission was something else. He'd been so mad that he couldn't be there the month of my birth, because the villagers used to get particularly hurtful and aggressive in October. His mission was just different now. He didn't want me to see him, knew I wouldn't know him looking any other way."

Kakashi forced himself to swallow. "What are you getting at, Naruto?"

"Well, he gave me a gift on my birthday. I don't see why I couldn't do the same for him."

"Huh?"

"His birthday, I found out, was September 15th. He didn't want me to know who he was, but I found him out."

Naruto pushed off the sill, walking merrily over to Kakashi's bedside before leaning down and kissing him on the forehead, setting a little box on the bed.

Kakashi blinked dumbly up at his student before sitting up and opening the small package. Inside, there was a thin silver necklace with two little charms on it. One was a pair of goggles and the other was a small pink rose. 

"How did you manage to match the silver to my skin tone?"

"The same you did."

Kakashi blinked dumbly up at him again before he noticed it. 

Laced around the boy's neck, for once not hidden under the outrageous collars of his jackets, was a wire-thin gold necklace, one that matched his skin. Against the black of his jacket, however, the little kunai and habanero were visible. 

"There's more in the box." Naruto said, his voice dropping into a whisper. "Look."

His own handwriting stared back at him.

_They loved you. I believe in you. You are worthy of their lives, you just don't know it yet. Hang in there. I'll always be there for you, even if you can't see me._

Naruto smiled. "Happy Birthday, Kakashi."

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
